Air vent and humidifier



' Nuv."3, 1925.

I' 1,560,227 C.' E. FRAZIER ET AL AIR VENT AND mJMIDIFIERv Filed July 9. 1923,

'Pawnee Nov. 3, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,560,227 PATENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE E.' FRAZIER AND HELMER R. LINDQUIST, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AIR VENT .A ND HUMIDIFIEB.

Application tiled July 9,

To all whom t may concern.

Be it known that we, CLARENCE E. FRAZIER and HELMER R. LINDQUIST, citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Air Vents and Humidifiers, of which the following is a full, clear, con-` cise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

Our invention relates to an improved air vent and humidifier for radiators and the like.

The moisture carrying capacity of lair increases rapidly with the temperature and hence as air in a room or other space is warmed an increased amount of moisture in the air is necessary to maintain the desired humidity. If the `amount of moisture is not" increased that originally present generally becomes insuflicient as the temperature rises. Low humidities are not only uncomfortable but they are detrimental to health. Furniture and other contents of a room are frequently damaged by improper humidification.

The commercial advantages of artificial humidification especially in textile mills and the like are well known. The necessity for removing or venting air from steam radiators to maintain high efficiency of the radiating surfaces is also well known.

We are aware that various expediente to the above ends have been heretofore proposed among which are various devices for causing the evaporation of water and others 'discharge of the heating for permitting the escape or discharge of steam from the radiator into the atmosphere. The humidity cannot be readily increased to the desired extent by evaporation and the problem of replenishing the water is presented. Where the escape of steam is permitted constantly during the functioning of the radiator, excessive condensation occurs and it is impossible to maintain the humidity within reasonable limits. Where the steam is discharged through orous material, as has'been roposedwe d that condensation and dripplng from that oint occurs. In attempting to overcome t e disadvantages of the devices which are constantly open, pressure controlled devices have been roposed. In venting the air the steam out-` lets of these-devices are o ened and ermit uid regard ess of 1923. Serial No. 650,235. i

v and the disadvantages accompanying the escape of water are well known.

Our invention relates to that class of devices in which humidification is accomplished by permitting the escape of steam from the radiator into the atmosphere of the room.

An object of our invention is the provision of a device which will operate ,automatically to permit such an escape at high temperatures when increased moistureis desirable and to stop such escape at low tem- `peratures when additional moisture is not usually required.

Another object is the provision of novel means for permitting the free escape of air without an appreciable discharge of the heating fluid.

Another object is the provision of a device\in which condensation, dripping and the discharge of water is eliminated. v

Another provision is a device operated automatically by a change in temperature.

Another object is the provision of a novel,

simple and compact structure foi` accomplishing the Jforegoing.

Other objects and advantages not herein before set forth will appear from the following detailed description and the claims ta en with an inspection of the accompanying drawings in which;

Figure 1 is a vertical axial section through a'device embodying our invention, showing a portion of the radiator to which the device is applied.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. '3 is a of Flg. 1, and; l.

Fig. 4 is a reduced and more or less diagrammatic horizontal section on line 4 4 of Fig. 1. n

The embodiment of the invention selected for illustration comprises an internal u right cylindrical shell 5 having a detac able base member 6 screw threaded as shown at 7 or otherwise attached to and-closing lower end thereof. Shell 5 is preferab y of `brass although other suitable material may cylindrical shell 8 which may also be of horizontal section on line 3-3 the" formed. An external brass' or other suitable material surrounds shell and forms with shell 5 an annular surrounding space or chamber 9 .about shell 5. The lower end of shell -8 is attached to base 6 as by threaded engagement at 10.

Base 6 has a projecting nipple 12 ex- I ternally threaded at 13 lto be screwed into j ly therefrom the usual `vent opening 14 in radiator coil, column or section 15. Exceptas hereinafter referred to. the details of the radiator are immaterial. Suflice it to say that vent opening 14 is usually in the end oeil opposite the steam inlet end of the radlator and ,that in the particular device shown coils or sections 15 are looped and have columnsy 16 with a space 17 therebetween as shown in Fig. 4. One end of nipple 12 is reduced to pass freely through vent opening 14 andthis reduced end projects 1nto the radiator to prevent condensation that may adhere to the, inner surface of the radiator wall from enteringy the humidifying device. The interior of the radiator communicates with the humidifying device through a passage 20 extending through nipple 12 and into base 6. Passage 20 and thereby the interior of the radiator, communicates with the interior of shell 5 through a tube 21. Tube 21 extends up through annular space 9 and enters shell 5 adjacent the top or upper end thereof. Circulation through water accumulation in shell 5 is thereby avoided and the steam 1s discharged from the device in dry condition and with a minimum of condensation. A passage 22 controlled by a ball 23 conned between valve seat 24 and a pin orI stop 25 secured in base 6 and projecting into passage 20, provides a return from the interior of lshell 5 to'the radiator.

The upper end of shell 5 is closed by a head 26 threaded or otherwise suitably secured thereon. Head 26 has a circular wall or tubular projection 27 projecting upwardand. axial disposed relative thereto. A valve containing sleeve 28 having its lower end threaded for threaded engagement withhead 26 at 29 and its upper end iitting snugly in tubular projection 27 has slots 30 in its upper end in which a suitable tool is adapted for engagement to threaded the sleeve into place or remove or adjust the same.

or passage 32 with the interior of shell 5. A valve member 33 having an upper flared end the under surface of which is ground A 36 threaded The upper endof sleeve 28 is counter-bored to provide a valve chamber 31 which communicates through a port stem or guide portion 38 ground externally to provide flat faces and' thereby passages 39, (Fig. 3) for the passage of steam up through passage 32 when valve 33 is unseated from seat 34.

The outer periphery of sleeve 28 lhas an annular groove 40 which communicates through ports 42 with chamber 31. Mounted at one end in tubular projection 27 lis an outlet or steam discharge tube-45 com'-l municating at its upper end with chamber 31 through annular groove 40 and ports 42. A set screw 80 threaded through tubular projection 2 preferably at an angle as shown so that a screw driver may be conveniently engagedV therewith` from the upperl end of 8 when cap 72 is'removed, extends into annular the upward and. also t e downward movement or adjustment of sleeve 28 in projection 27.' Tube 45 extends radially at its upper end'through the interior of shell 8' and then down through annular space 9 between shells 5 and l8 and out through a tubular boss 46 depending from the under side of base 6. vA sheet metal tube 48 having a relatively thick lining 50.0f felt or other suitable sound deadening material preferably of such character that it will absorb any moisture or condensation in the discharging steam is coupled to the lower end of boss 46 projects into space 17 between columns 16 of the radiator sections. By flaring the upper end of lining 50 out over, the adjacent flared end of'the tube. 48 for enga ement with boss 46 an exceptionally tight joint is provided at this point, the passa eC 53 throughlining 50 registering with t e interior of tube 45.

. To insulate the steam prevent condensation of a second metallic tube heat discharge tube and the discharge steam 54 provided with a Within shell 5 is a thermally controlled dev'ce comprising preferably a closed container or.` shell 65 filled or partially filled with a. volatile liquid such as alcohol or the like.` Shell 65 has a concave lower end resting upon the upper rounded end of a post 66 formed integral with base 6. The upper concave end of container 65 carries a needle valve 70 for closing port 60 upon a rise of water in she-ll 5 and o 33 against the tension of spring 35 when the vtemperature has increased suiiiciently.

j insulating lining 55 of felt or the like ning valve oove 40 and limits by a coupling nut 52 and or discharge of air from t 1e 7 .p 6.r "Infv a 4.delavioe of theclass described, a chamber having' an yinlet for connection with a source of steam 'and an outlet, a valve controlling 'said' outlet', meansw for automatically opening"` said valve-v vith a rise in temperature, an'dfmeans `for varyingthe -temperature atwhich -said valve o ens.

f 7. In combination, an, enclosing shell having ninlet for connection withafradiator, said shell having an outlet port, ayieldably seated valve member controllingsaid port, saidwvalve' niernbr'hav-ing an air vent and a; thermally sensitive element ldisposedin sai shell" and havingafvalve stem for closing said air vent and Iopening said -yieldably seatedvalve member..v4

8'.' Incombination, '`n nclosin'gshell havingan inlet orconnection witha radiator, 4

saidshell having an 'outlet port, a yieldably seated valvemember'controlling said port,l memberhaving" an air vent, a' thermally sensitive elementdispos'ed in' said said valve shell and having `a valve stem Vfor closing -shell to the radiator,

ber, and a thermally said air vein-pand,openinggf; said-yieldably 'l seated valve member, a return from said and a check valve controlling said return.

n combination, an enclosing shell having an inlet for connection with a radiator,

a head memberclosing the upper end of said shell, a valve housing mounted in said head member, said valve housing having a steam outlet port, a valve member controlling Asaid port, a plug mounted in said valve housing, a spring interposed between said plug and said valve member and urging the valve to its seat, an air vent port in said v'alve memsensitive element dis]- posed in the shell and cooperating with said valve member upon expansion of the thermally sensitive element to close said air vent and open said-steam outlet.4

Inl Witness whereof, We hereunto subscribe our names,lthis 5 day of July, l923.

CLARENCE E. FRAZIER.

HELMER R. LINDQUIST. I

having a valve stem 

